Above all else, guard your heart,
for everything you do flows from it.
– Proverbs 4:23, NIV
We Are the Aggregate of Our Crew
I have heard it said that we are the aggregate of the people by whom we are surrounded. Oftentimes, our circles of friends can change our trajectory—for the better and for the worse. Many of our progressions, and unfortunately, regressions, are steered by our relationships. Our core people are most frequently the ones who help to develop our thoughts, our attitudes, our characters, and even our destiny. So, you might be wondering: What does this have to do with guarding our hearts? The answer is: Everything!
Changing of the Guard
A few years ago, I had the privilege of traveling to England. During my trip, I visited Buckingham Palace and observed the Changing of the Guard, a ceremony where the New Guard takes over the responsibility of protecting Buckingham Palace and St. James’s Palace from the Queen’s Guard. As I patiently waited for the ceremony to commence, I noticed that despite the guards’ stoic appearances, they were indeed surveilling the transient crowd. While I do not fully comprehend the intricacies of the palace protocol, I did make several assessments. Firstly, in order to be effective watchmen, the guards must be knowledgeable and discerning. Guards assigned to the palace gates must be able to screen visitors and determine eligibility for entry. Secondly, the guards should also be able to identify and remove potential threats. An effective guard must be vigilant but not paranoid. Paranoia could incite chaos, which could ultimately breach security. Lastly, an effective guard should understand that not every entry denial is adversarial. There could be many reasons why palace guards would turn away visitors. Ultimately, despite the variety of potential scenarios, the main reason for denied access is because an individual or individuals’ agenda did not satisfy the palace occupants’ needs or desires.
Guard Your Heart: Discernment
When it comes to guarding our hearts, we should behave in a manner similar to the palace guards. We should be wise and discerning when granting entry into the courts of our hearts. In doing so, we should determine whether those who wish to gain access are worthy of our confidence. Again, we should not confuse this discernment with paranoia. Paranoia is being unduly suspicious of everyone and trusting no one. Nonetheless, it is important to know that not everyone belongs in our inner circle.
Guard Your Heart: Timing
Timing is another critical component when it comes to guarding our hearts. For example, a guard might allow a courier to deliver a package to the palace. However, if that courier attempted to leisurely return during his or her off time, he or she would most likely be denied admission. The same might be true in our lives. Some relationships are seasonal. Therefore, those temporal individuals should have only finite access to the inner workings of our hearts. They too should be denied access after their purpose has expired.
Guard Your Heart: Access
So why should we care who has access to our hearts? Proverbs 4:23 says that everything we do flows from the heart. If our hearts are not infused with peace, we will have turmoil. If our hearts are not filled with love, we will find ourselves bitter and resentful. Hence, it is important that we surround ourselves with people who can nurture those virtues. We should grant access to the inner workings of our hearts to only those who can replenish and not diminish those areas.
Challenge:
As we wrap up this post, I challenge you to evaluate the people around you. Do they speak life into you? Do they challenge you to become a better person? The Bible says iron sharpens iron. Are the people in your life sharpening you, or are they dulling your shine? Depending on your answer, it might be time to start guarding your heart—allowing access to those who belong and denying access to those who do not.
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Biblical References:
New International Bible. (2011). The NIV Bible. https://www.thenivbible.com (Original work published 1978)